A few hours after Apple removed the hit game Fortnite from the App Store, Google also removed the application from the Play Store. Now the company has filed a second lawsuit.
Yesterday, Epic Games integrated its own payment system into the iOS version of Fortnite to avoid the App Store fee. This is a clear violation of the current App Store guidelines, which is why Apple removed the application. Epic Games then filed a lawsuit against the Cupertino-based company. But that's not all. The Fortnite developers want to know. Epic Games has made the same in-app changes in the Google version of the app as in the iOS version. However, there is also a clause in the Play Store that regulates the in-app purchase system. Google's guidelines state:
Developers who offer in-game products that are downloaded through Google Play or provide access to game content must use Google Play In-App Billing as a payment method.
The logical conclusion was therefore the exclusion of the app from the Play Store. Of course, Google has already commented on the procedure to The Verge. The similarity to Apple's own reasoning is remarkable. The Notice:
Epic Games also files lawsuit against Google
The open Android ecosystem allows developers to distribute applications across multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and make the store safe for users. While Fortnite is still available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Google Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.
According to The Verge, Google made it clear that the company has no problem with Epic distributing the game on Android devices through other channels. However, the rules for the Play Store must be followed for Fortnite to be available through it. Unlike iPhone or iPad users, Android users can download Fortnite via the Epic Games app or the Samsung Galaxy Store. Incidentally, Epic Games has now also filed a lawsuit against Google. Whether the company will prevail against the two tech giants remains to be seen, however. The further course of events is likely to remain exciting. (Image: Epic Games)
